PORTLAND — The Portland Sea Dogs (69-40) opened the series with some pop and outstanding pitching, taking down the Reading Fightin’ Phils (44-62) 2-0, Monday night at Hadlock Field. The win sends Portland to a 11-4 record against Reading and a 36-15 record at home.

Mike Augliera was the story on the night for the Sea Dogs as the righty trotted out for his 20th start, and it may have been his best. Augliera (5-9) retired the side in order over the first three innings and dismissed the first 10 in a row, before Albert Cartwright broke up the stretch with a single to center.

Along with the single came the rain, as Mother Nature stepped in and delayed the game for one hour and twenty minutes.

Once play resumed, Augliera returned and needed two pitches to get Kelly Dugan to ground into an inning ending double play.

The starter retired the side in order in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings before Jake Fox ended that streak with a single to left field in the eighth. Augliera, again, was not fazed; he rolled up a 4-3 twin killing and Brock Stassi lined out to center to close out the inning.

That would end the night for Augliera, as Robby Scott took the hill for the ninth. Scott picked up where the righty left off and retired the side in order to close out the game. The duo combined to face the minimum and held Reading to a 2-for-27 night.

Offensively, Sea Dogs wasted no time and jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, courtesy of some power in the first two innings. Blake Swihart crushed a 1-0 pitch from Severino Gonzalez into the Portland bullpen and gave the ”˜Dogs the 1-0 lead. Dave Chester followed suit in the second and drove an opposite field solo shot into the bullpen and doubled the lead to 2-0.

Augliera earned the win with his career-high tying eight scoreless innings. He allowed the two hits, didn’t walk a batter, and struck out four. He induced 15 groundball outs on the night. Scott earned his third save in four chances with the perfect ninth.

Gonzalez (6-12) took the loss and didn’t return after the rain delay. He gave up the two runs over three innings on five hits; he didn’t walk a batter and struck out four. Mike Nesseth and Seth Rosin combined to throw five scoreless after the pause in play.